Dear, Devotion
by RaidenInvictaVon
Summary: Deep in the sunken city of Lafayette, someone special catches Julia's eye...


**Prologue**

_Her luminous, blue eyes were parted slightly wider than usual as she watched the Bailey Trio perform Come Away To The Skies. The three of the red head kids swaying side to side, looking up to the ceiling singing. They looked so happy when they sung, like it was the only thing they had in life. So innocent, driven by nothing but the love for music. Not love, but passion. Julia Martina recognised the one with mushroom cut hair from the baritone choir, and from school. He was the oldest in class, but the most quietest. Julia was bought here by her parents who were sat besides her, they would leave in a couple of minutes when this performance is over._

That was a year ago when she first noticed him, she was now fourteen and was attending Sunday School where he taught them the perks of Christianity and how to be a good citizen. He was only fifteen years old and he was doing so much for the community, Julia mentally face palmed herself. After all this time she never even got to ask his name, they just referred to him as Mr. Bailey. She shuffled in her chair and sat up to pay attention, slightly nudging the girl next to her by accident. Mr. Bailey leaned against a table and held the bible between his long, emaciated fingers.

"Give, and it shall be given to you. For whatever measure you deal out to others, it will be dealt to you in return." His voice was so baritone and subdued, yet when he sung in piano class he could reach some amazing highs. He closed the bible and Julia snapped back into concentration mode.

"I will see you all tomorrow early morning for prayer. You are all dismissed" He spoke, people started standing up and leaving, all except from Julia. Mr Bailey slipped his mini-bible in the back pockets of his cream pants and before leaving, his eyes caught with hers. He stopped mid-stride and then approached her.

"You can leave now." He smiled, that was the first time Julia had seen him smile in the whole two years since she's been watching him.

"I was just wandering," She started twirling the tips of her hair in her fingers. "You're in my piano class... I was wandering if you could teach me, maybe?"

Nothing excited Mr Bailey more than sharing his passion with others. "That would be amazing, just come over tomorrow in class"

Julia stood to her feet and made her way through the maze of chairs and stood across from Mr Bailey, she reached his shoulders. She held out her hand, and he shook it. It was so petite in his.

"My name is Julia Martina. Yours?"

"William Bruce Bailey. Come to class twenty minutes earlier, we can get a head start" And with that he pulled away and walked out.

* * *

><p><strong>Next day in piano class<strong>

Julia pulled her school bag over her shoulders as she meandered up the second set of stairs and pushed herself passed a group of kids who were being boisterous. Finally arriving at the music room, she pushed the door open silently to see William hunched over the piano, his back facing him. Her eyes trailed from the spine bumps that were visible through his shirt. His shoulders were heaving and that is when she heard the sobs. Julia dropped her bag to her sides and shut the door behind her, then came to William's aid. She crouched down and sat herself on the space William had left for her on the piano stool. Julia didn't know exactly what to do at first, but she eventually rested her hand on his shoulder and felt him tense under her. He looked up and wiped his eyes, sniffling and calmed down.

"Are you okay William?" She asked.

"My dad.. he just.." He thought about it, then kept quiet. "Forget it, you're here to learn piano."

Julia pulled her hand back and watched as his fingers glided over the white keys, and then played. A beautiful sound, one she have never heard before, flooded the room. This noise was the sound of icicles and little sleigh bells mixed into one impacting combination. She felt the sadness of the music seep into her body slowly and spread throughout her veins. The magic of the sound drew her curiosity and she patiently stayed still in her seat, afraid that this was a dream and one wrong step would waver the music. Julia's eyes glistened as she watched his actions, William was leaning over a big machine of some kind from which the sweet and sad sound emitted. The machine was like an elegant beast, sent to life by his slender fingers. Keys of ivory white and smaller keys of charcoal black decorated the magical object. Smooth brown wood curled delicately underneath the keys in which his fingers were dancing over. She was awed at the scene in front of her, her heart beating to the dozen at the adrenaline that was rushing through her right now.

William finished the song and turned to look at her, seeing her reaction, he smiled. Julia saw the red rings around his eyes from crying, and it pained her. She placed her fingers on the winter white keys and played her own rendition of that song. It had a few mistakes, but he was there to learn her.

"Okay, where you first went wrong." He played the bit she did, then showed her how to correct it. After stumbling three times, he placed his cold hands on her warm ones and guided her until she eventually got the hang of it. The feel of his skin on hers, it sent chills up her spine, but she disguised it. Both of the youngsters started playing in unison, getting lost in their own world until the school bell rung signaling for them to get home.

Julia picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"Is it okay if I walk you home?" William asked, Julia accepted and they both walked out of school, ignoring the verbal abuse they - mostly William was receiving from some of the kids. As they hit the warm Lafayette weather, they felt more repose.

"So, Julia.." William started with a mirthful one cornered smile.

"So, William." She mocked. "Why were you crying earlier?"

She watched his irises darken slightly, and his smile dropped for a second. "Julia, I feel as if I can trust you. Since I don't have friends here... you'll be my only friend. So I'm trusting you."

Both of the teenagers sat on a brick wall that reached their waist, and Julia's skirt that reached past her knee's actually revealed her knee's. Both of their legs dangling from the side. Julia tapped the heals to her bowling pumps against the crumbling brick. William looked out into the sun set and Julia watched every blink, every expression.

"See, my dad, Reverend Stephen as you know him... he sometimes gets mad at me, Amy or Stuart..." William looked down at his knee's and rubbed his arm where a bruise had formed. "He does it because he loves us, but it makes me hate him so much.."

"What do you mean he gets mad?" Julia pressed. She didn't mean to, she wanted to help.

"He hits me." William bluntly said. Julia felt her heart race, this was so wrong. A lovely, innocent child like him.. what could he actually do?

"If he ever hurts you, just come to my house.. I'm always here for you." Julia smiled, William turned and looked at her, he felt a feeling he'd never felt before. A feeling of.. the feeling of having a friend. They both hopped from the height of the wall and continued their walk to Julia's house. It turns out it was just a street away from him. He stood at her gate whilst she ran up to her porch, she turned and hugged her books to her chest.

"Remember, I'm here whenever you need me William." she smiled.

"I know, thank you Julia." He waved at her, then stopped short. Julia followed his gaze and turned to see her dad stood at the door.

"Who is this Julia?"

"This is my friend, William." She smiled. William turned and headed down the street in the orange glow of the evening and back to his abusive home.


End file.
